Whatever We Are
by LysCat
Summary: This is a one shot that wouldn't leave me alone and is a complete alternate universe in the way that there is no war or hunt for Divergents. Eric has taken Tris under his wing as a leader in training, forcing them to get to know one another better.


Title: Whatever We Are  
Author: Alysia  
Couple: Eris  
Summary: This is a one shot that wouldn't leave me alone and is complete alternate universe in the way that there is no war or hunt for Divergents. Eric has taken Tris under his wing as a leader in training, forcing them to get to know one another better.  
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters familiar to the Divergent Series.  
Author's Note: So, I'm officially obsesses with Eris. I have never read the books and because of that, I'm going to be lazy and used the physical attributes of the actors that portray them. Also, in this story, there was no war and there's no mention of Divergents. Also, anything written in italics is meant to be a flashback. And this is a story about a UC pairing, if you don't like the couple, please don't read and flame me for it.

* * *

 _Passing the couple locked in a heated make-out, Tris quickly averted her eyes. She grumbled something about 'privacy' and 'apartments' before continuing on her walk with Eric._

 _He could only shake his head at his companion._

" _I bet if I kissed you right now, you would faint at my feet."_

 _Tris Prior felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, because unfortunately, Eric was right. Hell, just speaking about it made her uncomfortable. It didn't matter that she'd left Abnegation behind a year ago, some things stayed with her. She'd grown up with the mindset that displays of affection were meant to be shared behind closed doors._

 _Her parents, as happy as they'd been, had barely brushed hands when they were in her presence. She remembered the night before the choosing ceremony and that after their parents had bid her and Caleb goodnight, they left the kitchen hand in hand. It had been enough for her to avert her eyes._

 _He came to a stop, forcing her to as well. "Oh, relax, Tris. I'm not actually going to kiss you," Eric said, obviously misreading the reason for her silence._

 _She frowned at him. "It's…I just…I know," she mumbled the last words, stumbling her way through her sentence. Despite the fact that she was a leader in training, she'd never found familiarity in Eric. He was just as overwhelming and intimidating as he had been when she'd been an initiate._

 _Growing up in Abnegation, there were strict rules to follow. And while other girls her age, obviously from other factions, were allowed to encourage attention, she never was. She'd never been overly concerned with her looks, or how members of the opposite sex perceived her; and unfortunately, it was a trait that she carried over when she defected._

 _Eric, finding amusement in her reaction, smirked at her. "Seriously, I don't understand how a group of people can live under such strict rules," his lips curled up in a sneer._

" _I didn't know any different," she replied with a shrug, hating that there was yet one more reason for him to mock her. "Sex is…"_

" _Fun," he finished for her. "And provided that one takes the correct precautions, there's nothing wrong with it."_

" _It shouldn't be about fun," she denied, though she knew that it was. Only, she couldn't say so from a ton of personal experience. Her one venture into romance, with Four, hadn't exactly worked out the way she'd wanted it to._

 _When she'd defected to Dauntless, her first concern had been about getting through initiation. She hadn't been prepared for Four and the feelings that he invoked within her. He'd helped her, supported her, been there for her; and she loved him. However, it wasn't long before both realized that the only sentiments that they shared were more platonic than anything. It had been surprisingly effortless to go from romance to friendship, and she realized then that she'd never truly loved. At least not in a passionate, 'I can't live without you' sort of way._

" _It should be about sharing yourself with the one you love," Tris continued. "It should be the ultimate expression of love."_

 _He could only scoff in response. He didn't know if it was a feminine thing or an Abnegation thing, but he found her words full of naivety. "Love and Fairytales don't exist, Tris," he argued. "And if that's what you're waiting for, then you're in the wrong faction." He hadn't been a virgin when he defected, but his experience had been nothing compared to the lifestyle he'd adopted once becoming Dauntless._

 _She shook her head. "I'm not looking for a story book romance," she replied softly. "But when I do find the one I'm meant to be with, he's going to be my forever." She couldn't say that she regretted not saving herself for her future husband, because at the time that she'd lost her virginity, she truly had loved Four. But she could promise that he'd be her last._

 _He supposed that her words could almost be construed as sweet…almost. Personally, he enjoyed sex too much to give it up and wait for his 'one and only.' Not that he thought there was one. He didn't know if he believed in the idea of soulmates, he certainly had no examples to look to. He'd had plenty of lovers in the past, and the number only increased when he became a leader, but never once had one of his partners struck him as something more than a fling._

" _And like I said, good luck with that frame of mind," Eric replied in full sarcasm. He didn't know anyone that would gladly wait for her to come to terms with her feelings when there were other women who were eager to share themselves_.

It was a month after that particular conversation before the pair spoke about anything not related to her duties as a leader in training. When, after a twelve hour day, Eric dragged himself up to his apartment and promptly crashed on his couch only to be woken up by the sound of pounding on his door.

"What?!" He exclaimed throwing open the door. When he discovered Tris on the other side, he could only blink. "What the hell do you want?" He asked, his tone slightly lower, but still frosty.

Slipping past him, she eyed the apartment. Huh…it was surprisingly clean, more so than what she figured it would have been.

"Please, come in," he muttered, shutting the door and turning around to face her. "Why are you here?"

"I…(hiccup)…need a…(hiccup)…favor," she confessed.

He narrowed his eyes on her, sizing her up. "Are you drunk?"

"No," she denied quickly. "I…I'm not drunk, it was just teeny bit," she excused, holding her thumb and index finger together as an example.

He exhaled a sigh. When Max had asked him to take Tris under his wing, he doubted this is what the older man meant. However, Tris had endeared herself to Max, and Eric refused to give her a reason to go running to him. "What's this favor?"

"I…well, see the thing is…"

He replied with an exaggerated sigh. "Spit it out," he barked. "I have better things to do with my time than wait for you to put a sentence together." She often fumbled her words when she was with him, and he could handle it under most circumstances; but he was tired and desperate to be left alone.

She narrowed her gaze on him, annoyed that by his words. "Iwaswonderingifyouwouldhavesex…with me, that is."

Did she…? No. He must have heard her wrong. She wouldn't dare ask him something like that, would she? "Did you just ask me to have sex with you?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, but her eyes never faltered from his. "Would you?" She asked, not bothering to repeat herself.

"No," he replied flatly.

Why? Why wouldn't he have sex with her? She knew there were other members of their faction more attractive, but she was petite and lithe, and pretty enough. "Why not?"

"Call me old fashioned, but I prefer my partners to be sober," he bit out.

"I've seen you leave from gatherings, you and whatever notch on your belt, stumbling out of the pit," she grumbled. He had nothing against drunk partners, so it must be her. Did he not find her physically attractive?

Getting the feeling that he was in for a slightly long conversation, he moved towards his couch. "You got me. I normally wouldn't mind the drunk offer. However, I do have an issue when I'm completely sober." Whether people realized it or not, he had standards and morals. And he would feel like absolute shit if she woke up in bed with him the next morning with no memory of what happened.

"You…don't want me," she mumbled. "I don't know why I'm bothered." He'd already made his feelings known. He'd joked about her finding a fairytale romance.

"The victim role doesn't suite you," Eric denied. He rolled his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "I know I'm going to regret asking, but, what brought this on?"

"Four moved on."

He shook his head. That was it?! Four? This was about Four?! "Didn't you two break up months ago? You didn't care that things were over then, why now? What? You realize that you can't have him so you're throwing yourself at the next available person?"

"If I threw myself at the next available person, I wouldn't be here right now," she snapped back. "I…" She tossed her hands in the air. "I'm not jealous of Four, and I don't want him back…but…you were right," she admitted in a small voice. "My thoughts about sex and romance were insignificant and stupid, and…I'm not going to find that."

He wanted to tell her that he'd found her words at the time, endearing. He wanted to tell her that a part of him wished for the same thing, but he couldn't. He couldn't then, he wouldn't that night. He didn't handle emotions very well, he was had never been the sort of person that wore his feelings on his sleeve.

"And I just thought that…since I'm working so closely to you that you'd be able to-"

"Give you a pity fuck?" He supplied when she seemed unable to find the right words.

Fresh tears welled in her eyes. "I shouldn't have come here," she breathed. "I don't know what I was thinking," Tris said more to herself than him.

"No, you shouldn't have," he easily agreed. "It's late, you're drunk and I have better things to do that listen to a drunk girl's rambles." Even as he spoke the words, he regretted them. It was no secret that he was a jerk, but he'd never gone so far out of his way to belittle someone.

Biting her bottom lip, she nodded in a jerky manner before spinning around and fleeing his apartment.

It was hours before he was able to fall back asleep, and even then, his rest was fitful.

* * *

The pair never spoke of the conversation. She tried exactly once to bring it up and apologize, but before she could even get the words out, he'd stopped her.

" _Is there a reason why you're pacing outside my office?" Eric asked loudly, though he never raised his gaze from the papers in front of him._

 _Taking his words as an invitation, Tris stood under the door frame. "About the other night, I should never have presumed to…if I hadn't consumed so much alcohol, I never would have…"_

 _Inwardly, he wondered if she'd ever be able to complete a sentence in his presence. However, he decided to take pity on her. "Tris, it's fine."_

 _She immediately shook her head in negative. "I should never have said that."_

" _You were drunk," he replied with a shrug. "Who hasn't been? I know that I've had my fair share of less than sober nights. It wasn't a big deal." The situation was obviously more embarrassing for her than him and he didn't intend to hold it over her head. "There's no need for us to mention it again."_

 _She nodded. "Yeah…okay," she agreed quietly, still not feeling comfortable. After all, he hadn't really allowed her to apologize._

Though the subject was never broached again, it was as if something had changed between the two of them. Eric, though still biting and sarcastic, was less so to her. For the first time since meeting him, Tris was less intimidated by him. It was yet another thing that was never discussed. And though she was curious, she never could bring herself to ask him about it. The months passed and her training continued. In the presence of others, Eric was still as distant as ever, but there were times when they were alone when she'd swear he would stare at her to the point that she felt flutters in her stomach.

And again, it was something that was never mentioned until one stormy night. They were on their way back from a meeting at Erudite when the power in the city went out during a massive storm. The train came to a complete stand still, and unfortunately they were in the middle of town and unable to jump off or climb down.

"This is not how I intended to spend my evening," he muttered, sitting against the side of the railcar. Closing his eyes, he rested his head back.

"Yeah, tell me about it," she tacked on. Exhaling a sigh, her body dropped down across from him. "I was supposed to have a date tonight." She looked down at her wrist watch. "I should be with Christina right now, grumbling as she gets me ready."

He smirked, finding the thought funny. "You let her dress you up?" He asked.

She shrugged. "She likes doing it, and I trust her taste." Christina constantly harped on her for her clothes, or not applying make-up that accentuated her features.

"I don't understand why you listen to her, there's not a damn thing wrong with you." Yes, there were more attractive women in Dauntless, but there was a classical beauty to Tris that many lacked. When he'd passed initiation, he'd embraced the Dauntless lifestyle; from clothes, to piercings and tattoos, to sex. However, Tris hadn't. Other than the one tattoo she had, she hadn't changed physically. Her dirty blonde hair, though slightly shorter than it had been, was still the same color it always was. She'd hadn't styled it in a dramatic way. Her make-up was always natural looking, and she hadn't marred her face with any facial piercings. She was as fresh-faced as she'd been during initiation, and that wasn't a bad thing.

She scoffed in mock disbelief. "Did you just compliment me? Who are you, and what have you done with Eric?"

He tilted his head down and frowned at her. "I know how to be nice," he replied. "I just choose not to be."

"And why is that?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"I…it's easier to keep myself separate that way," he shrugged.

"Separate from what?" Tris prodded. Other than herself and the other leaders, she'd never witnessed Eric playing nice with other members of Dauntless. And if he wasn't a complete ass to them, then he completely ignored them.

"People respect me this way."

"People are afraid of you," she clarified. "I mean I get the whole being an asshole to initiates thing, but is it really necessary to keep it up all of the time."

"No one walks all over me," he supplied easily. "People know what I expect, and they do it. I don't have to hold their hand and walk them through it."

"You can be a good leader without intimidating everyone else to death."

He shrugged. "Maybe I don't want to." Growing tired of the conversation, he moved on. "So…you had a date scheduled? Still seeing what's-his-face?"

"You mean Alan?" She asked pointedly. Eric knew exactly who he was, they'd been in same initiation class. "Yes, we're…going slow," Tris tacked on with a grumbled. Honestly, Alan bored her to death. He was nice and gentlemanly, but she just didn't find him attractive; no matter how hard she tried. His hair was too dark, he was too short and his voice was the wrong tone.

He narrowed his gaze. "Going slow as in, 'I want more but I'm not ready' or going slow as in 'I'll bide my time until something better comes along?'"

"You really are a jerk. Why do you always assume the worst of people?" She demanded, offended by his words.

"It's doesn't make you a bad person," he replied easily. "You wouldn't be the first person to settle."

"I'm not settling," she denied. "I just…he's…you…" She shook her head. "Arg! You…" When had she reverted back into the weak willed initiate that could hardly speak to him? Damn him, why did he have that effect on her?

"Did you know that when you get angry your cheeks turn pink and your scrunch your nose slightly?" Eric asked after a pause. She also wore a similar expression when she was embarrassed.

Did he really just say that? "Is that your way of telling me that you purposely say things to get a rise out of me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe," Eric tossed out casually, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Inwardly, his heart was nearly hammering out of his chest. He didn't do emotions, and he'd never admitted such a thing to a member of the opposite sex. Women came to him, women fell at his feet. All, except this one…

Closing her eyes, she crossed her arms over her chest. "You really are the most aggravating person I've ever met," she snapped. "You do nothing but attempt to find fault with people and when-"

Her words died when she felt pressure against her lips. Not expecting anything of the sort, her body froze and her eyes flew open.

Refusing to let her shock defuse him, he his lips against hers. Raising his hands up, he cupped her face in them, both of his thumbs caressing her cheeks as he sent a silent prayer for her to respond to him.

His lips held fast, and when she felt his tongue against her bottom lip, her eyes finally fluttered closed. Giving in to his probing, she opened her mouth to him, allowing him access to her mouth. Their kiss was long and deep and passionate; making it both too much and not enough.

It was only when oxygen became an issue that she ended it. With her heart pounding, she looked to Eric. Eric, who until that very moment was the epitome of cool. "You kissed me…"

"Ever the observant one," he replied, though his tone held no malice in it.

This couldn't possibly be a joke to him. "Why? Why did you kiss me?"

"I assume you're looking for something a little more eloquent than 'because I wanted to?'"

"I'll settle for the truth," she replied softly.

"I kissed you because I wanted to," he whispered, settling his forehead against hers. "Because I've wanted to kiss you for a long time." Placing another peck against her lips, he smiled, unable to help himself. "You kissed me back, why?"

"Because it felt right," she confessed quietly. Neither was ready or willing to pull away from one another, and so they stayed cuddled together, trading kisses every few minutes. "What happens now, Eric?" She hated breaking the spell that had been woven over them, but she couldn't not ask. She needed to know.

"Honestly?" He asked. "I don't know. I…don't do relationships. I've never been in one, so I don't know what to do or what's expected of me."

She nodded slowly.

"I'm not exactly a nice guy. If you're expecting romance and flowers, then you're looking in the wrong place," he warned her.

"I don't need romance or flowers," she replied. She was very aware of exactly who and what Eric was, and despite that, she still wanted him. And she didn't need him to change himself for her. "I just want you."

"I'm not going to hold your hand or physically stake claim on you in public," he warned her. He wasn't sure why he was saying that. Maybe it was to warn her as to the sort of man he was and what he couldn't be. And maybe if she changed her mind and got out now, it would hurt less in the long run?

"All I ask is that you keep it in your pants and not have sex with anyone else while we're…whatever we are."

He nodded once, as if agreeing to her terms. "Okay then."

"Okay," she replied easily.

As if the powers that be had been working to get them together, the power turned back on and the train jerked back to life upon their agreement. Neither said a word as they stood and prepared to jump from the train, knowing they were only minutes from the Dauntless sector.

Neither was sure what lay ahead of them, but for the first time in a long time, Tris was okay with that. She cast a glance over at her companion and beamed at him for no particular reason. And she watched him roll his eyes before grabbing her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.

* * *

AN: What did you guys think? Good, bad, ugly? It's only my second Divergent story and my first Eris story, so I hope I haven't offended anyone by making anyone too OOC.


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